Heifer International, a nonprofit that lets people make gifts of livestock to farmers in impoverished areas, gave a shout out to Grist in its March/April WorldArk magazine (albeit using .com in the web address).
Now, in the May/June issue, not only does Grist get a shout out with a correction in the letters column, but the whole issue is outstanding.
Here's just a sample of the terrific content:
The cover story, Our Carbon Hoofprint, provides "a closer look at the indictment of the livestock industry." Because Heifer uses livestock for small farmers to address poverty, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization study "Livestock's Long Shadow" presented a serious challenge to the organization -- the finding that livestock is responsible for 20 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions probably created quite a stir in the organization.
The next article, "From the Farm to Your Table," is a discussion of food miles.
The first article in the issue is an extended excerpt from the United Nations report "Water for Life Decade." Excellent introduction to the challenges of providing clean water in a world of growing population and rampant industrialization.
A small article in the front of the magazine suggests "Send Old Electronics to the Boneyard," with a description that should be irresistible to most readers here:
It's part of the modern dilemma: what do you do with that old cell phone or outdated computer? Instead of throwing them into the trash, send them to MyBoneyard.com. They are licensed electronics recycler and guarantee to strip and permanently delete all personal information from your recycled product. It couldn't be easier. Just register each product on their site and print a prepaid shipping label -- they pay the shipping -- for each item, then pack it up and send it off. When they receive your device, they inspect it and will even pay you for the device. The reward amount is added to a Visa debit card and sent to you.
Chuck Norris on Copenhagen
Top 25 reasons to give a damn about climate change
Global boiling declares war on Thanksgiving
Comments
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caniscandida Posted 7:44 pm
03 Jun 2008
http://www.friendsofanimals.org/actionline/fall-2005/heif ....
There have been advisories against Heifer in Best Friends magazine, and on the HSUS website, though these are apparently not permanently posted.
Issues that have been raised include:
there is no guarantee that the recipients of the animals will treat them humanely;
prior to that, it is not certain that the animals to be donated will have been raised in humane circumstances;
it is not certain that promoting an animal-based economy is in the long-term best interests of the people in developing countries to whom the animals are given.
My husband, the son of Missouri farmers, likes Heifer International a great deal, and has given gift cards (following upon donations) frequently in the past few years.
I for my part am keeping them at arm's length.
By the way, I am sure you are right to suggest that an article on recycling old cell phones and computers will interest more Gristmill readers than will articles on animal welfare. But may I comment, sadly, that that need not be so.
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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Erik Hoffner Posted 10:33 pm
03 Jun 2008
Good to see them taking on the livestock question.
As for the humane issue, that's something that could be improved on with ease, seems to me, if it's a problem. What can't be improved on is their mission and model which has done more to raise people out of abject poverty in 80+ countries than any other group I know of.
Erik
The Orion Grassroots Network: 1,200+ grassroots groups working for conservation & more
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Wolverine Posted 7:35 am
04 Jun 2008
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Erik Hoffner Posted 8:01 am
04 Jun 2008
But this? "Sorry, but there's no way for a person whose first priority is protection and restoration of the natural environment to support a group like this."
How is a single cow owned by a (usually destitute) family a threat to restoration? It's poverty that is the main enemy of such values everywhere in the world. It's why entire forests are cut for firewood and charcoal, it's why marginal land is put into production when it shouldn't be. We're not talking about the 'livestock industry' here - it's about survival first of all, dignity, and a shot at another kind of life. For eg, the milk from a single cow in Africa is enough to ensure healthy development of a child plus enough extra milk to sell so that the child can actually attend school, which is seldom free in most countries.
Anyhow, Heifer is about a lot more than cows and pigs. They supply bees, chickens, turkeys, goats, water buffalo for plowing, vegetable seeds, advice and training and more to families, who are then obliged to share the offspring of what they grow with others in need.
It's a proven model that will continue to change lives and landscapes for the better.
Erik
The Orion Grassroots Network: 1,200+ grassroots groups working for conservation & more
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PermieWriter Posted 8:38 am
04 Jun 2008
Eat what you grow, grow what you eat
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MAD MAC Posted 4:29 am
05 Jun 2008
Victory in Pattani
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David Roberts Posted 5:16 am
05 Jun 2008
grist.org
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MAD MAC Posted 5:26 am
05 Jun 2008
Of course, a healthy world war could kill off a couple of billion if we tried........
Victory in Pattani
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Erik Hoffner Posted 7:49 am
05 Jun 2008
Erik
The Orion Grassroots Network: 1,200+ grassroots groups working for conservation & more
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caniscandida Posted 10:30 pm
05 Jun 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/garden/05animals.html?e ....
This is a remarkably horrifying article, all the more horrifying for being so extended.
I have meditated now, on being drowned in a rain barrel, like very many of those poor squirrels, by a heartless lord of the manor.
Our wealth and comfort always come first, in this world, do they?
Cf. the brilliant 1985 move, "The Shooting Party," taking place in the Autumn of 1913, just a few months before the outbreak of World War I, the stupidest bloodiest conflict in all history. A bunch of aristocrats come together, at a lord's estate, to shoot to death as many poor frightened birds as they can.
The lord is noble, though, and he begins to see through the idiocy.
His grandson, meanwhile, has a pet duck, who gets loose and flies off on the eve of the last day of shooting ...
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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epenick Posted 7:14 am
06 Jun 2008
As Westerners largely familiar only with the harmful U.S. land & animal management practices of the past century, it is difficult to imagine other ways that are not destructive to the environment. Animals & people are not meant to cause harm to their local biosphere & Heifer is one organization providing the knowledge & resources to make this a reality. Animals are not placed within a community before months, & in most cases at least a year, of careful consideration & training. Communities look at all aspects of their environment & how they can manage their land & animals holistically. Animals are not placed without extensive planning & training. Families are trained in animal well-being including humane care, breeding, slaughter, as well as vet care, often relying on local knowledge & resources.
Another aspect of Heifer that many people may not be aware of, is they work within the U.S. also, educating & supporting struggling small-scale farmers and local producers. The big focus for the Americas programs is on food security, ensuring that all people have equal access to healthy, local, culturally-appropriate food. You'd be surprised at what is happening right here to support & raise awareness for holistic, sustainable land & animal practices, both in rural & urban settings.
I hope you will look further!
Disclaimer: the author is an employee of Heifer International, working in the Pacific Northwest.
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Tasermons Partner Posted 7:52 am
06 Jun 2008
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Erik Hoffner Posted 7:56 am
06 Jun 2008
The Orion Grassroots Network: 1,200+ grassroots groups working for conservation & more
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caniscandida Posted 8:30 am
06 Jun 2008
The allotments of animals most indeed are appropriate to the regional and cultural traditions of the recipients. Animals include: cows, sheep, goats, llamas, rabbits, chickens, [other poultry?; e.g. ducks?], bees.
As I said before, I am keeping them at arm's length, because of cautions against them expressed by the Humane Society of the United States, and a spokesman for Best Friends. But on the other hand, someone to whom I am very closely related likes them a whole bunch. So, I remain neutral.
People-wise, I am sure the intentions of the Heifer people are excellent. Animal-wise, I am not so sure.
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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spaceshaper Posted 9:15 am
06 Jun 2008
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
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spaceshaper Posted 9:23 am
06 Jun 2008
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
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JMG Posted 9:37 am
06 Jun 2008
Bottom line is that Heifer is not spreading our model of industrial animal husbandry -- Heifer is basically practicing the kind of grass roots, community-based micro-scale income development work that has been shown to work throughout the world.
I've given to many international aid societies over the years, and my friends who have been there at the delivery end assure me that one of the consistent habits of people who "get ahead" in these countries is that they use their greater wealth to add more meat to their diets. Unlike those of us in the overfed countries, people in poverty and coping with hunger benefit greatly from access to animals that provide multiple benefits (meat, milk, fiber, fertilizer).
I've thought a lot about Canis' concerns and wondered if supporting Heifer is appropriate. In the end, I throw in with Mark Twain and say that, if Heifer is wrong according to animal cruelty standards, "All right then, I'll go to hell."
(Although no doubt well-read Canis might reply that the line I just stole is 180 degrees out of context when applied to a decision to condemn animals to slavery and eventual slaughter.)
The 5% Project
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caniscandida Posted 9:43 am
06 Jun 2008
As it was, my mug of margarita sloshed all over my palm-tree-and-parrot-patterned pantaloons ...
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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MAD MAC Posted 4:25 am
07 Jun 2008
Also, I'm just about out of compassion these days. My ol' compassion meter is pegged out. Well, at least the meat I am eating is from an animal raised in the open out here in the backwoods of Thailand. Probably had an OK life until it was killed.
Victory in Pattani
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caniscandida Posted 5:03 am
07 Jun 2008
God bless both of you. And all your friends.
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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Gar Lipow Posted 5:33 am
07 Jun 2008
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Biodiversivist Posted 6:59 am
07 Jun 2008
The big cattle producers who deforest to create pasture are the biggest emitters of GHG per cow.
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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MAD MAC Posted 2:33 pm
07 Jun 2008
Victory in Pattani
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amazingdrx Posted 2:46 pm
07 Jun 2008
Where is that link to the big list of GHG percentages? Curing the overlap confusion.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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JMG Posted 3:26 pm
07 Jun 2008
http://www.quaker.org/fep/Grid_apr2007.jpg
The 5% Project
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JMG Posted 3:28 pm
07 Jun 2008
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/6/5/223446/9521
The 5% Project
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amazingdrx Posted 4:01 pm
07 Jun 2008
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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caniscandida Posted 9:23 pm
07 Jun 2008
They have to do, of course, with the exploiting and killing of sentient fellow creatures, justified, if ever at all, by anthropocentric reasoning.
It may be true, as many within the Grist/Gristmill community have fiercely and defensively indicated in bitter disputes in the past, that an assertion to the effect of "You cannot be an environmentalist and eat meat" is going too far. Fine.
But, meanwhile, we might suggest:
Frequent or regular consumption of meat (including fish) is not necessary for the well-being of human beings;
Frequent or regular consumption of meat (including fish) cannot be sustainably offered to human beings, as the human population grows;
Exploitation of terrestrial vertebrates and fishes is inconsistent with a considered progressive environmentalist ideal of harmony among the Earth's living creatures;
Exploitation of terrestrial vertebrates and fishes is morally corrosive of the well-being of human societies.
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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MAD MAC Posted 10:47 pm
07 Jun 2008
But then there's the carbon released when my 30-06 discharges it's bullet to kill the Bison. Then I have to transport it's carcass back home - using fossil fuels for the pickup to do so. Then I have to use an electric saw to efficiently carve it up. Then I have to use more electricity for the freezer to preserve the meat. So it's not exactly carbon neutral.
Canis
How are you going to get lions and other carnivores to buy into your plan?
Victory in Pattani
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epenick Posted 3:07 pm
08 Jun 2008
Caniscadida & others: regarding eating animals, I just want to respond that the main (or first) purpose of many Heifer animals is indeed not for their meat. After all, immediately killing an animal for consumption isn't very sustainable, as then the animal is gone! The scope of the use of animals is again wide & holistic. Around here at Heifer we like to call it the 7 Ms:
-manure
-milk
-material
-money
-muscle
-motivation
-meat
and more!
There're llamas & alpacas that can navigate the high alpine terrain in South America without damaging the delicate tundra.
A surprising amount of the world's population drink not only goat's milk, but water buffalo & camel's milk as well.
There's silk worms in China that allow families to gain an economic foothold.
Angora rabbits raised for their fur (& sheared, not skinned).
Earthworms for vermaculture.
Bees for honey & pollination.
You get the idea...
Thanks to all for the great comments & thought-provoking discussion!
Ending Hunger, Saving the Earth
Heifer International
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MAD MAC Posted 6:13 pm
08 Jun 2008
Victory in Pattani
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caniscandida Posted 6:50 pm
08 Jun 2008
I hope you and she made peace, once she was safely sliced up, and presented to you on a dish.
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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MAD MAC Posted 7:08 pm
08 Jun 2008
Yeah we made peace because it was dead. Pretty tasty too, although we sold most of the meat. We paid 8,000 baht for the buffalo and sold the meat two years latter for 22,000. It grazed wild, so it didn't really cost us anything to maintain.
Victory in Pattani
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JMG Posted 11:06 pm
08 Jun 2008
The 5% Project
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amazingdrx Posted 12:41 am
09 Jun 2008
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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Biodiversivist Posted 12:43 am
09 Jun 2008
Deforestation is the second leading source of GHG globally, behind fossil fuels.
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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Biodiversivist Posted 12:47 am
09 Jun 2008
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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amazingdrx Posted 1:23 am
09 Jun 2008
Since the digestion rate of natural bacteria that feed on manure and biomass is optimized at only one part of nitrogen (manure) to 30 parts of biomass (carbon), should not the manure (and chemical fertilizer) run off caused by human inaction be assigned a large portion of anthropogenic GHG? Also where is the huge amount of GHG effect (up to 2/3rds the CO2 uptake of all crops) fromm nitrous oxide emitted by chemical fertilizer?
I think they are wrongly blamed on natural causes. These are huge sources of GHG that could be brought under human control, by biodigesting manure and sustituting organic fertilizer for chemical.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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MAD MAC Posted 3:22 pm
14 Jun 2008
You don't see a lot of buffalo carts out here anymore, but I predict a comeback.
I am seriously thinking of buying some horses as well. I love to ride, and someday may have to give up the motorcycle for lack of fuel. On the other hand, it burns so little, I could probably run of bio fuel and still afford it.
Victory in Pattani
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caniscandida Posted 4:43 pm
14 Jun 2008
(In the tale in question, an ignorant guest of Thor's breaks one of the goat's leg-bones during dinner, in order to eat the marrow -- which causes the goat some grief in the morning.)
For all I know, you have the powers of a god. But usually, I should think, a water-buffalo cannot be exploited BOTH as an animal that provides meat AND as an animal that pulls a wagon. Usually, the master of the water-buffalo has to choose how to exploit him/her, one way or the other.
Anyway, I thought you did not get along with water-buffaloes; the last one kept trying to gore you.
As for Heifer International's presence in Thailand, do you know of anybody who has received a water-buffalo from them?
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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MAD MAC Posted 10:39 pm
14 Jun 2008
Yes, you have to decide if it's for eating or for working. In most cases, since Thais have an aversion to beef for religious reasons, they are used for work.
Victory in Pattani
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